Cupcake Bubble Continues to Inflate

DC is on the verge of a cupcake bubble. The appetite for the sweets is at an all time high and competition is fierce.

The Washington Post reports that a dozen cupcake shops have opened in the past 20 months, with more on the way.

The craze for the mini treat might be a sign of the times. They are mostly inexpensive ($2.75 at Georgetown Cupcake), offer a quick fix, a bit decadent and can be indulged in solo.

"We are coming close to a bubble now," cupcake shop owner Aaron Gordon told the Washington Post. "One or two more shops is about as much as the public can support. After that, the folks with the highest-quality cupcakes and best locations will be the ones who survive.

We're tempted to predict the imminent bursting of the bloated cupcake bubble. Surely some of these shops will be out of business within the next couple of years. But cupcakes may be more than a passing trend. You see, cupcake sales profit from a deeply anti-social tendency in America. While normal size cakes are made to be shared, cupcakes can be eaten alone. They are the dessert version of the "Bowling Alone" phenomenon. Even when shared with friends, cupcakes are less socially taxing than ordinary cakes. A full sized cake must be cut up and placed on plates, served individually. With cupcakes, you just plop down a tray and walk away.